Nektar Panorama P4: a new coat of paint!

[EnochLight]

After my 8+ year old Nektar Panorama P4 started to develop a thick sticky residue on all of the knob pots and faders (due to the cheap lame soft rubber coating Nektar chose to coat them with) from decay, I decided to strip them all with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol, hand polish with thick pile microfiber clothes, and add a new coat of paint. What do you think?

The stripping/hand polishing literally took me about 2 & 1/2 hours to get all of the sticky rubber glue crap off. I mounted them to a double-layer piece of cardboard with wooden tooth picks to hold them in place, and sprayed about 2-3 light layers with Rust-Oleum "Colonial Red".

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, though I sort of wish I had done the single silver motorized fader cap as well. D'oh! BTW, I also had to strip the pitch bend and mod wheel, as they also developed into a sticky goo mess from the same shitty coating Nektar employed. Seriously - I don't know why manufacturers use this crap.

Anyway, here's the final end result!

[EnochLight]

Here's some photos from various stages of the project:

[EnochLight]

[EnochLight]

[Exowildebeest]

Why not trickle down some of your economics and buy a new one?

You have a right to not repair!

[QVprod]

Looks great! Good choice on the red.

[raymondh]

That looks so much better than the original! Well done!

[EnochLight]

Why not trickle down some of your economics and buy a new one?

You have a right to not repair!

Looks great! Good choice on the red.

That looks so much better than the original! Well done!

Thanks fellas! Yeah I'm really happy with the new color (and feel) of the buttons/faders now. Next, I may (or may not) replace the actual keybed with an allegedly "improved" keybed that Nektar tech support sent me over a year ago. That project is a little more risky, however, as it requires me to disconnect a lot of cables and ribbons and really get inside. Right now, it works fine - so I'd be sad if I break it.

Though... that would give me a great reason to grab a Kontrol 49!

[motuscott]

Very handsome

[Despondo]

Next, I may (or may not) replace the actual keybed with an allegedly "improved" keybed that Nektar tech support sent me over a year ago. That project is a little more risky, however, as it requires me to disconnect a lot of cables and ribbons and really get inside. Right now, it works fine - so I'd be sad if I break it.

I replaced mine a few years ago (I need to do it again... ) and it was a relatively easy job. I say, go for it!

[EnochLight]

Next, I may (or may not) replace the actual keybed with an allegedly "improved" keybed that Nektar tech support sent me over a year ago. That project is a little more risky, however, as it requires me to disconnect a lot of cables and ribbons and really get inside. Right now, it works fine - so I'd be sad if I break it.

I replaced mine a few years ago (I need to do it again... ) and it was a relatively easy job. I say, go for it!

You replaced the keybed? Was the replacement set noticeably better than the factory?

[eusti]

Pretty!!!

D.

[Despondo]

I replaced mine a few years ago (I need to do it again... ) and it was a relatively easy job. I say, go for it!

You replaced the keybed? Was the replacement set noticeably better than the factory?

It seemed the same to me. This was back in 2016. It did fix the key that was sending wrong velocity, but now after several years, the replacement bed is acting up on a similar key. I sent another support request to see if they will send me another one. Perhaps a 2nd gen one?

[Despondo]

I heard back from support today. They have 2nd generation keybeds still available. I think the replacement I got back in 2016 from them was still a 1st generation one. I'm out of warranty, so the cost of a new one is $75USD with FREE shipping, so I decided to go ahead and get one. Not sure how long it will take to arrive in Canada with Covid, but will be good to get that one pesky key fixed and have some more spare parts in case something else goes in the future.

[dezma]

Nice color. Pictures seem to be gone though?

I have the same issue with my panorama, they (nektar) are going to send me replacement parts.

One thing I'd like to know: were you able to clean up pitch / modwheel? How did you do that without spilling chemicals in the body?

[EnochLight]

Pretty!!!

Thanks!

It seemed the same to me. This was back in 2016. It did fix the key that was sending wrong velocity, but now after several years, the replacement bed is acting up on a similar key. I sent another support request to see if they will send me another one. Perhaps a 2nd gen one?

I heard back from support today. They have 2nd generation keybeds still available. I think the replacement I got back in 2016 from them was still a 1st generation one. I'm out of warranty, so the cost of a new one is $75USD with FREE shipping, so I decided to go ahead and get one. Not sure how long it will take to arrive in Canada with Covid, but will be good to get that one pesky key fixed and have some more spare parts in case something else goes in the future.

Hmmm... yeah I'm hoping I have the "new improved" keybed - it's still in the box. Was it difficult to switch it out the first time? I build my own PC's so I'm no stranger when it comes to opening things up, but still a little nervous - especially after all of the effort I just put into glamming up my pots and faders. I also have a "replacement" motorized fader to install, but I use the term "replacement" loosely, as the one they sent me appears to have either been a spare part laying around someone's desk or it was pulled from a previous service job. It came shipped very poorly (my old motorized fader keeps getting stuck).

Nice color. Pictures seem to be gone though?

Thanks! Pictures seem fine on my end - but if you're using Chrome it could be an image cache thing (especially if you're running any Chrome plugins). *EDIT: the problem is you have "insecure content" blocked in your Chrome settings for Reasontalk. The images are hosted on a bread and butter server that allows insecure connections for the image hosting. *EDIT 2: OK, I had an SSL cert issued and have changed the original linked photos to secure. Hopefully they should show up for everyone now. Sorry about that!

I have the same issue with my panorama, they (nektar) are going to send me replacement parts.

One thing I'd like to know: were you able to clean up pitch / modwheel? How did you do that without spilling chemicals in the body?

Cleaning that goo off of the pitch and mod wheel is easy. Assuming you are using 91%+ isopropyl alcohol (just dampen a thick pile lint-free microfiber cloth with it), there is zero risk to spilling chemicals in the body. Isopropyl alcohol evaporates almost immediately and is non-conductive. It's been used for cleaning the interior of electronic components for decades and decades. Just make sure it's unplugged and powered down. Took all of five minutes to clean that crap off and restore them to a smooth, new condition (well, the mod and pitch wheels anyway... stripping the pots and fader caps took me almost 3 hours -LOL)! One thing I did do, however, was to hold the pitch and mod wheel near the base so when I pushed down to polish them, there was no risk of bending the metal axis that they are mounted on.

[Despondo]

Hmmm... yeah I'm hoping I have the "new improved" keybed - it's still in the box. Was it difficult to switch it out the first time? I build my own PC's so I'm no stranger when it comes to opening things up, but still a little nervous - especially after all of the effort I just put into glamming up my pots and faders. I also have a "replacement" motorized fader to install, but I use the term "replacement" loosely, as the one they sent me appears to have either been a spare part laying around someone's desk or it was pulled from a previous service job. It came shipped very poorly (my old motorized fader keeps getting stuck).

Basically a LOT of screws, and some of them were a pain to remove due to locktight or something similar. Since I already did it once, those screws will probably be easier the 2nd time around.

[bxbrkrz]

It's more than a new coat of paint.
It's a bit of inspiration for the next generation.
We don't need to trash everything.

https://www.repair.org/stand-up/

[Despondo]

Hopefully your new keybed won't look like this when you open it....

[EnochLight]

Basically a LOT of screws, and some of them were a pain to remove due to locktight or something similar. Since I already did it once, those screws will probably be easier the 2nd time around.

Cool, good to know. Thanks!

Hopefully your new keybed won't look like this when you open it....

[EnochLight]

UPDATE: so I switched out the key bed with the replacement I was sent in 2019. I honestly can’t tell a difference - looks and feels identical to the one it shipped with in 2013. Lame.

But the real kicker is I switched out the motorized fader with the replacement they sent me - only to discover (after I screwed it back down and attached the cables) THAT A WIRE HAD BROKE FROM THE POTENTIOMETER SOLENOID! So now it’s useless.

Going to try and get my hands on a precision soldering iron and see if I can fix this, but I’m really disappointed with what Nektar tech support sent me. Even the packaging on the replacement potentiometer was amateur.

Double lame.

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[Proboscis]

Anyway, here's the final end result!

Dude, that's a great project.

I also have a Panorama P-Series, so your images are immediately relatable.

I too have the 'sticky knob syndrome', and sometimes looked into replacing both the rotary pot knobs and the sliders. but all the reasonably priced knobs out of China are 'notched', which I think would be a bit weird to use from a UX perspective, since the pots are of an infinite rotation. And I've not found much in the way of horizontal 'knobs' that are small enough clearance between each other.

Have you used that type of paint before ? I wonder if you'll experience peeling and/or wear and tear. Please consider updating ... oh I dont know.. 50 hours of use, for a status update.

Your controller looks primo AF with that red color, but it wouldn't have been my choice. As someone who makes noise at late night hours in dim lighting, I've always hated the Panorama's 'all black' approach, and the lack of contrast. I've always thought 'white knobs' if I were to refit my gear.

Or.... if the paint-job holds up, maybe a UV paint that will glow in the dark when charged sufficiently

[O1B]

Missed this... ! WoW! Incredible work.

I can really appreciate this. My Girlfriend goes to town keeping my Modules buffed n shiny - that what she said! - w/ some kind of spray bottle. Im guessing that's it. I thought it was just an air blower.

I like clean, shiny modules to work with - that's what she said - ! um... and, it Helps immensely if you ever want to re-sale.

Really Nice Work, EL.

It Looks Fruity! ...has that "No closet can hold it!" Look.... Yum!

[EnochLight]

Thanks! I’ve always though the red-on-black just looks cool as hell.

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[Proboscis]

The guy on the left looks like Niles Crane, from the TV series "Frasier'. And the guy on the far right looks like David Byrne

Is that 'Devo' ?